About this project

$13,458

pledged of $11,500 goal

256

backers

At a time when America is searching to define its values and
trying to uncover the inspiration of what it means to be uniquely 'American',
we need a manifesto! And it would make sense that it should be carved out of
meat. I have spent almost three years attuned to America’s spirit, humor and
verve. I conceptualized raw images capturing the same, shot them for posterity
and incorporated them into a book for publishing. Meat America, the book, is
ready for prime time.

United Steaks

My name is Dominic Episcopo. I am an artist,
photographer and carnivore. Working with meat, I aimed to bring to life our
collective American appetite of insurmountable odds, limitless aspiration and
immeasurable success. In the end, I served up what I hope you will find to be
an amazing array of irreverent and iconic American images fashioned out of
meat.

Love & Death

Lincoln

We call this project Meat America and
we need your help to bring it to fruition. The book we will publish with your
participation will be a hardcover with 110* full color pages and a first
edition run of 4,000.

Eggs and Bacon

Each pledge will bring us closer to
our goal to celebrate America’s spirit of entrepreneurship, rebellion and
positivity.

For some a coffee table book, others a
bathroom one, MEAT AMERICA’s diverse acceptance is a reflection of America
itself. And while reactions have ranged from disgust to praise, there is one
common thread that critics and individuals can agree on… that Dominic has
tapped into a visceral subject that inspires emotion and ignites thought.

Frank Zappa / Making Dough

Steve Jobs / Skull & Scallions

Goals:

I have
been fortunate to secure a publisher that will allow me to produce the art I
want with the voice it requires in a medium that is rare. More importantly, my
publisher has agreed to allow me to raise my own funds through Kickstarter and
to use those proceeds to expand the first edition run, to pay down the printing
and to reduce the marketing expenses—thus eliminating, at least in part, the
middle man, which, ironically, is a bit of the American Way!

I seek to
raise $11,500 to cover these expenses.

Armed with professionally published
and widely distributed books, we will transform what was once only an artistic concept
into an American pop-culture movement with a life of its own. In the end, we
want everyone to Meat America.

Risks and challenges

Although creating and shooting is my purview, I took the time to fully understand the steps associated with printing/publishing. I have secured a reputable printer of photographic books, locked my production prices and ensured my delivery dates. In addition, all of the images for the book are staged, shot and assembled, ready for the first run. Thus, funding is the only hurdle I face to timely delivery of this rare piece of Americana.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

Signed First Edition Meat America book with a retail value of $44.95 each and a limited edition, museum-quality, signed 8X10 print of the United Steaks of America (AKA the cover image) with the retail value of $150.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $2,500 or more
About $2,500

Signed First Edition Meat America book with a retail value of $44.95 each and a once in a life-time museum-quality, signed 24X32 print of an original piece of art incorporating your profile in meat into a themed piece developed by the artist after a phone-based consultation exploring your interests, politics and patriotism. This Reward can be purchased as a gift to a party that you designate so long as the recipient is based in the United States. To shamelessly borrow from MasterCard, PRICELESS.